Dear Doves,
ROME— Pope Francis plans to visit Israel as soon as next year, the Vatican said, in what could be a landmark visit for a pontiff who has already won plaudits from the Jewish community for his strong condemnation of anti-Semitism.
On Thursday, the pope also met at the Vatican with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who invited him to visit Palestine as well. Israeli President Shimon Peres had already extended an invitation to the pope to visit the Holy Land shortly after the pontiff's election in March.
Following the invitation from Mr. Abbas, "we can now start thinking in a more concrete way regarding the planning of the visit," said Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi, adding that it could take place in 2014.
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In Thursday's meeting with Mr. Abbas, the two men discussed the political conflict in the region and, in particular, the reinstatement of negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians in the "hope that this process may bear fruit and enable a just and lasting solution to be found to the conflict," the Vatican said in a statement.
When Pope Francis gave Mr. Abbas as a gift a pen Thursday, the Palestinian president told him, "I hope to use this pen to sign the peace treaty with Israel."
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303680404579141563422438386
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis is “eager” to visit the Holy Land, a Vatican spokesman told The Jerusalem Post, but no specific date for the trip has been set, contradicting Israeli television news reports that the trip could come as soon as March.
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Reports began circulating that the trips were confirmed and speculation about the trip to Israel were picked up by Israeli TV, which reported that Buenos Aires Rabbi Abraham Skorka, a friend of Pope Francis, said the new pontiff had a lifelong dream to visit Jerusalem and Bethlehem.
~Patty RP